Stax potato crisps

by Lay's

25
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Stax potato crisps by Lay's receives a safety score of 25/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 ingredients that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0028400092517
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
About 12 crisp

What the Data Says About

Stax potato crisps by Lay's carries a composite safety score of 25/100, which we classify as "Avoid" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Our scan identified 3 flagged ingredients in this product — components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, Stax potato crisps is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone. The Nutri-Score grade of E reflects nutritional balance — calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium versus fiber, protein, and produce content — which again is a distinct dimension from additive safety and worth weighing alongside the scores above.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Stax potato crisps
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 25/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score E OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Potatoes
2
Vegetable Oil
3
Organic Sunflower
4
Corn
5
Cottonseed Oil
6
Unmodified Potato Starch
7
Rice Flour
8
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
9
Made From Corn
10
And 2% Or Less Of The Following: Mono - And Diglycerides
11
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
12
Skim Milk
13
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
14
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
15
Soy Lecithin
16
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
17
Monosodium Glumate
18
Cayenne Pepper Sauce
19
Aged Cayenne Peppers
20
Vinegar
21
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
22
Onion Powder
23
Natural And Artificial Flavors
24
Spices
25
Garlic Powder
26
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
27
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
28
Brown Sugar
29
Artificial Color
30
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
31
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
32
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
33
Chicken Fat
34
Yeast Extract
35
Chicken Broth
36
Chicken Powder
37
And Milk Protein Concentrate

Full Ingredient List

Dried potatoes, vegetable oil (sunflower, corn, and/or cottonseed oil), unmodified potato starch, rice flour, maltodextrin (made from corn), and 2% or less of the following: mono - and diglycerides, salt, skim milk, sugar, dextrose, soy lecithin, citric acid, monosodium glumate, cayenne pepper sauce (aged cayenne peppers, vinegar, salt, garlic), onion powder, natural and artificial flavors, spices, garlic powder, hydrolyzed corn protein, sodium diacetate, brown sugar, artificial color (red 40 lake, yellow 6 lake, yellow 5 lake), chicken fat, yeast extract, chicken broth, chicken powder, and milk protein concentrate

Categories

Snacks Salty snacks Appetizers Chips and fries Crisps Salty snacks made from potato

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial